The invention relates to tread plates having two grousers for chain-driven vehicles.
For good efficiency in the operation of tread-driven chain vehicles, both a number of properties of each individual tread plate and the interaction of adjacent tread plates and, finally, their reaction on the carrier chain, the carrier-chain rollers and the carrier-chain drive wheel are of importance. Each individual trade plate must produce a high degree of traction between the vehicle and the ground, and assure good resistance to slippage in the direction of travel and also the direction transverse thereto. Furthermore, the bolt heads of the bolted connection of each individual tread plate to the carrier chain must be readily accessible to wrenches, and the grouser development must be such that little dirt can adhere either between the individual grousers or between the individual chain members.
A good self-cleaning of the chain must be possible. The shaping of each individual tread plate must, in particular with respect even to compacting of material, provide enough free space between two plates that extensive compacting of the material cannot take place after the chain bends into place. Otherwise, high tensile stresses are produced both on the chain links and on the bolts of the bolted connections to the carrier chain, and there is a danger that the tread plate bolts will be sheared off. Furthermore, the arrangement of the grousers on the tread plate must be so selected that the plate makes a stable equilibrium possible with respect to the chain, particularly in its development of the tread plate should, due to the arrangement of the grousers, subject the chain as a whole to as little load as possible, and also make it possible to turn the individual chain links in the region of the drive wheel for the carrier chain.
The object of the invention is to optimize the above-described properties with a two grouser tread plate.
Known single-grouser tread plates, for example in chain-driven vehicles or crawlers, have good traction with the ground but subject the chain to very high stresses. In addition, they turn turn only with great difficulty, so that they easily cause damage to the chain and therefore are used only in exceptional cases or else with unsuitable over-proportioning with respect to the drive as a whole.
Double grouser chains of rolled construction, to be sure, subject the chain as a whole to less stress. However, they produce poor traction with the ground and less assurance against slippage. The triple grouser plates which have been used possess the disadvantage of having only a small traction with the ground.